Improvement in street-sweepers



A. 0.- eonLn- Street-Sweeper.v

No. 211,151. Patented lan. 7,1 79.

ATTORNEYS.

NJETERS, PHDTO-L'ITMQGRAPHER. WASHmGTQN, n.0,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 7

ARTHUR O. GOULD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN STREET-SWEEPERS Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211.151, dated January 7, 1879; application filed November 11, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR O. GOULD, of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Street-Sweeping Machine, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to a machine for sweeping streets and gathering the dirt into a receptacle carried with the apparatus.

I use an endless belt of brushes, operated by gearing from the axle of the machine, which belt sweeps the dirt upon an apron and carries it to a receptacle. The belt can be raised and sustained out of operation when. that is desirable, and in use it adapts itself to the surface of the street.

My invention consists in certain details of constructionand novel arrangement of parts, whereby the work is done more effectually than heretofore.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved machine partially broken open. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation on the line as a; of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

a is a box of suitable dimensions, the sides of which extend to the rear and form supports for the .sweeping devices. The box a and other parts are supported. by wheels 0 on the axle d.

e is a hinged cover over box a. f is a hinged door at the lower side, through which the box a. can be emptied; and g are shafts for attachment of a horse.

At the forward part of the apparatus is a drum or roller, h, on a shaft, 6, that is journaled in sides b, and projects at each side, and on the projecting ends are secured gearwheels 1:, that each mesh with a larger gearwheel, 1, fixed on axle d at each side of the machine.

There is an arm, on, hung loosely on shaft i at each end of roller h, which arms support at their outer ends the shaft of a second roller a.

o is a flexible endless belt, passing around rollers h n, and having attached to its surface brush-heads p, which carry brushes of any desired character. These brushes are placed at a suitable distance apart,-and will be attached to belt 0, so that they can be readily removed and replaced when worn out.

The ends of shafts q project beyond the arms m, and when the machine is in operation rest upon wheels or rollers r r, that are journaled upon the lower movable end of a hinged apron, s. This apron s is hinged at t, and extends beneath the belt 0, its rollers r resting upon the ground and supporting the apron and belt at an inclination. The arms m swing freely on shaft i, which permits free movement of roller 11. and belt 0, so that they adjust themselves to the position of apron s, and the brushes are always retained at the same distance from the ground. The brushes can be raised entirely out of action when the box a is filled, and supported, as shown by dotted lines, by hinged arms a, connected to sides I), which will then be turned out for thatpurpose beneath the projecting ends of shaft q.

As the machine is drawn forward, the belt 0 is put in motion by the gears is Z, and brushes p gather the dirt and carry it up the inclined apron s, over the upper edge of the same, when it drops into box a. The sweeper thus acts continuously, and when the receptacle becomes full the brushes can be thrown out of action, as described.

If desired, the machine may be so arranged that thegcar can be disconnected at will, and levers provided for raising the endless belt of brushes.

I am aware that it is not broadly'new in street sweepers to use an endless belt of brushes in a casing, in connection with a subjaeent apron and a dirtreceptacle; but

What I claim is-- 1. The combination, in a street-sweeper, with an apron having wheels r r, of an endlessbelt of brushes, adapted to swing on shaft i at the upper end, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a streetsweeper, the apron s, hinged at the upper end and supported on wheels at the lower end, as shown and described.

3. The hinged arms a, arranged on the sides I) of a street-sweeper, to receive the journals of the lower roll of endless brush-belt when the sweeper is not in action, as described.

4. In a street-sweeper, having an endless belt of brushes fitted to swing as set forth, the hinged arms a, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ARTHUR O. GOULD.

Witnesses:

J. W. PIeKERINe, WM. H. DRURY. 

